Many of the top Premier League clubs will have stories of when they came close to completing deals for players who went on to become legends, but Southampton will certainly be left rueing the player they missed out on in 2003.
The Saints had the chance to sign one of Chelsea’s greatest-ever goal scorers, however, they refused to pay the £2.5m asking price for the striker.
The South Coast club are believed to have played hardball over a deal and ended up missing out on one of Europe’s best players.
When Southampton refused to pay £2.5m for Didier Drogba
Back in the summer of 2003, Sky Sports claimed that Southampton were told that Didier Drogba was available for £2.5 million, however, they decided that was too much.
The Saints were only willing to pay £1.5m and refused to increase their offer to get a deal agreed with French side Guingamp.
Drogba’s agent at the time, Willie McKay told Sky in 2003: “Guingamp were looking in the region of £2.5 million for him, but Southampton were only willing to pay £1.5 million.”
The Ivorian striker instead ended up moving across France to Marseille where he established himself as one of the best forwards in Europe.
In his first season for the Ligue 1 club, he netted 32 goals in 55 matches which eventually saw him secure his move to the Premier League.
Jose Mourinho on signing Didier Drogba for Chelsea
Jose Mourinho claims he insisted Chelsea should sign Didier Drogab despite all the other big names strikers around Europe.
Drogba, who Mourinho loved coaching, was one of the first signings the Portugese coach made during his first season at Chelsea as signed him from Marseille for £24 million.
Southampton watched on as the player they refused to pay £2.5m to sign moved for almost ten times that just 12 months on.
Mourinho got to take a close look at the striker when he was the manager of Porto as they faced one another in the Champions League, which Porto went on to win that same season.
Mourinho told beIN SPORTS in 2019: “I remember Abramovich was asking me, who do you want for the striker?’, All the big names in Europe at that time, I told him Drogba. ‘Who is he? Where’s he playing?’ (I said) ‘Mr Abramovich – pay and don’t speak’.”
